Returning my Mad River Explorer to a traditional style...

L

Larry Eckart

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Guys and Dani,
In February I bought an old Mad River 16? Duck Hunter and showed it here in a thread. While the canoe was in good shape, the usual bow and stern plates made of ash were molded plastic, the ash handles and one thwart were missing, and the seats had been raised to the gunnel level.

I wanted to turn it back to the traditional style of these venerable canoes.

So I added new ash stern/bow plates, ash handles, a new thwart and lowered the seats. Later on I will re-varnish them all with a non-glare varnish.

I think it already makes a better looking boat. I hope it to be a fine addition to the marsh, trout stream and warm water lakes of North Carolina.

This pic shows the Explorer as I bought it:
View attachment IMG_2073.jpeg
This pic shows the changes:
View attachment IMG_2108.jpeg

By the way, Kyle has created an interesting thread about paddling down a stream several miles to deer hunt.

I hope you do a complete dry run Kyle with the canoe loaded in warm weather. That stream looks like paddling four miles might take all your energy before you even get to camp, if the rest of the stream is as crooked and shallow as the pics show. As many others have shared, a canoe would be better than your Ducker, no offense to the Ducker.

Larry
 
Very nice, your touches both improve the boat's aesthetics and functionality! You will be well served via lowering the seat heights. Do you paddle with your legs under the seat off your knees?

Two coatings I would recommend for your consideraion are Epifanes matte and Total Boat. Owatrol also makes a two part product, called Deks 1 and 2. However, the Deks 2 overcoat is high gloss.

I fully agree with you, paddling a loaded boat through that sinuous river is going to be some work.
 
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Good morning, Larry~


Very nice work!


I am curious about your replacing the second midships thwart: Did you find the hull flexed too much ? I ask because I removed a second thwart from my 15-foot Grumman many years ago - and never found a need to reinstall it. I enjoy the unencumbered space for bags of decoys and the like. (The errant thwart still hangs from a rafter in my loft....)


BTW: As I can no longer kneel in a canoe for any length of time - on my 2 artificial knees - lowering the seats seems like a wise choice I should apply to my Grumman.



All the best,


SJS

 
Rick,
I am 64 so my knees ask me to paddle a couple of different ways for their sake. I can still paddle kneeling for a while, but not forever. When seated, I switch off between legs extended and legs under the seat. When my knees start talking to me, I know it's time to change positions.

Paddling with another person, the rear seat, usually mine, has a slight angle downward to relieve pressure under my thighs.

As I see that you have had the mother of all winters in da UP, I hope the spring runoff is down by the 4th of July!

Larry
 
Steve,
The MR 16 comes with that thwart in place. The previous owner took it out, as you say, allowing more storage space.

Confession of my real motive: I like the look of the additional ash thwart! It also allows another tie down place for camping gear.

The boat would even be prettier with ash rails, but I think I'll keep the viny/aluminum for ease of service.

But your point is well taken. If the thwart gets in the way of decoys, off she will come.

Safe travels to you Steve,
Larry
 
Larry, I fully understand. I had three arthrocopies and an ACL reconstruction on my right knee prior getting it replaced with a prosthetic knee a little over two years ago. A foam pad glued to the hull helped me well for the last years prior getting it replaced.

Here would be my choice for Kyle's trip:

http://gregsdaggercanoe.blogspot.com/2012/06/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-ja-x.html#!/2012/06/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-ja-x.html

Lots of fore-aft rocker for maneuvering and responsiveness and a good saddle.
 
Larry, there is a very nice 16' Explorer in Kevlar for sale on the east coast on eBay...this would give you a good "back-up" boat.
 
I wish the photos were not as "grainy". Jeff, what is the weight differential between the Kevlar hull and the standard?
 
RLLigman said:
I wish the photos were not as "grainy". Jeff, what is the weight differential between the Kevlar hull and the standard?
Click to expand...

I can't remember, and both the Royalex and Kevlar (and Fiberglass and now T-Formex) models were offered in different configurations over the years that added or subtracted weight. Aluminum gunwales were lightest, then wood, then plastic. The Royalex weights are no longer on the website, but the Kevlar version is listed at 45 pounds now.

I think my Royalex/wood models were around 70-75 pounds, and the Kevlar versions about 50. When young and stupid I didn't think that mattered. A local company here somehow had an Explorer mold and was legally sell boats from it, and they did an ultra-lite kevlar version in a "marsh grass" camo-patterned cloth that weighed in at 45 pounds. They went out a business a few years ago and I'm still kicking myself for not buying one, but they were something like $2800, which is at least 4 times the most I have ever paid for a canoe.
 
Thanks, Jeff! Don't feel bad. I had my hands on three dozen mallards, carved via a mechanical carver from a beautiful Miles Pirnie made decoy. Our agreement was that I was supposed to receive a dozen the birds in payment for finish sanding, sealing and painting them. I gave him each bird I finished, assuming he would pick his from among the total array. He did not, but simply opted too fall-off the face of the Earth and never gave me. I also have a rig of Joel Schroeder divers siting in a pole barn cubicle at a duck camp down on Moss Lake, that I donated to the owner...another conversation I don't recall.

That's only about 25lbs. lighter than my canoe!
 
My Hunting partner hauled a Duck hunter out of the dump, someone had drill holes in the bottom when it sunk from excess rain water. It needed new gunnels and a little patching but "If it's free it's me" has always been my mantra when it comes to light weight canoes. I have never spent more than 600 (wenonah Sundowner). I am presently trading work for a like new gel coat sundowner ( 91), stored inside and has only seen water a handful of times
 
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